Edward swung his legs again and again, kicking at the air like he was fighting invisible monsters.

He sat on the bed in Vivian's room, staring at his brother through the mirror.

"Brother, are you done yet?"

He complained, dragging the words out as if they weighed a ton.

He and his mother had arrived at the royal palace with his grandfather earlier in the evening.

And the moment he arrived he was with his brother.

Now it was around 7:30, and the palace buzzed with noise as everyone got ready for the celebration.

"Why are you in a hurry?"

Vivian said, calmly combing his hair back.

He didn't even look stressed.

He wore a clean black formal suit, sharp and neat, and Edward wore the same design, because Vivian had dressed him himself.

Edward frowned.

He liked the outfit, he really did, but watching his brother take his sweet time was torture.

"You said it would only take a minute," Edward muttered. "It's been forever."

Vivian smirked slightly at the mirror. "It's called getting ready. You'll understand one day."

Edward groaned and fell back on the bed, arms spread out. "I just want to go already…"

Vivian let out a long sigh and finally turned around.

His hair was neat, his clothes were perfect, and he looked so sharp that if Charlotte had been there, she probably would've had a full-on nosebleed on the spot.

He glanced at Edward, who had jumped off the bed the moment he moved.

Standing side by side, the two looked almost like copies, same face, same sharp eyes.

The only real difference was their hair: Vivian's was black, smooth and shiny, while Edward's was bright white, almost glowing under the room lights.

"Okay, come," Vivian said at last as he walked toward the door.

Edward giggled and followed right behind him like a little shadow.

Vivian opened the door and held it there, waiting for Edward to step out first.

Edward slipped past him with a quick grin.

Once he was out, Vivian closed the door softly behind them, and the hallway lights washed over both brothers as they headed toward the celebration.

They walked down the long hallway, talking about random things, and Vivian felt his head starting to throb.

Edward was cheerful as always, but the real problem was the voice ringing inside Vivian's mind.

[Softie, ask your brother if he has a girlfriend.]

The sword spirit had been nagging him nonstop since earlier.

It didn't stop there. And continued non stop.

Vivian rubbed his temples, trying to clear his thoughts.

He finally asked in his mind, "Why? What now?"

[Well, I was thinking… you're useless. So maybe your brother could get me a girl.]

"..."

Vivian froze for half a step.

He turned his head slightly, looking at Edward who was happily swinging his arms while walking.

After a while, Vivian responded in his mind, "You do realise he's ten?"

[So?]

"..."

Another long, painful silence filled Vivian's brain.

A slow snort escaped him, quiet, but full of pure disgust.

"How shameless can you be? You're asking me to arrange a meeting with a girl around ten, you perverted bastard."

The sword spirit only hummed in response, as if it hadn't done anything wrong.

The absurdity of it all made Vivian feel like his head might explode before they even reached the celebration.

The palace ahead glowed brighter, but his patience definitely didn't.

After a while, the sword spirit spoke again, sounding far too confident for someone who had just said something disgraceful.

[A cake is a cake, whether big or small. Doesn't matter.]

There was actual pride in his voice, not a single drop of shame.

Vivian went speechless.

He didn't even know what to curse him with anymore.

Any insult he threw would probably make the spirit feel flattered instead of offended, so he just pushed the voice aside and kept walking.

But the sword spirit wasn't done. Not even close.

[If I were you, I would've already slept with a few girls. What a pity. You don't look bad, but you're still a dickhead. Tsk tsk.]

He clicked his tongue over and over, like he was judging Vivian's entire existence.

Vivian shut him out completely.

There was no point arguing with a creature whose morals were buried somewhere in another dimension.

He kept walking beside Edward, pretending everything was normal, even though his mind was being tortured by the most shameless spirit in the history of creation.

Vivian couldn't help wondering how someone this twisted had ever become a sword of killing intent.

Whoever forged him must've had their brain rattled loose.

This annoying spirit had the personality of pure lust, not deadly focus.

'Spirit of killing intent?' Vivian snorted inside. 'More like a spirit of shamelessness.'

He forced the thought away as the hallway opened into the grand hall.

Warm lights spilled across polished floors, and nobles filled the space like colorful birds showing off their feathers.

The decorations shone bright, gold ornaments, glowing crystals, and banners hanging from the ceiling.

Music drifted through the air, soft but lively.

Vivian reached out and took Edward's hand so the kid wouldn't wander off.

The guards at the entrance bowed the moment he approached, their armor clinking softly.

The moment he entered, heads turned almost instantly. Conversations paused.

Eyes followed him, especially the eyes of the ladies.

Their gazes lingered on him a little too long, filled with interest and curiosity, yet none of them dared make a move.

The reason was simple enough: everyone knew the princess had already claimed him.

Trying to flirt with him now would be the same as sticking a hand into dragon fire, possible, but pointless and painfully stupid.

Vivian walked forward calmly with Edward at his side, unaware that half the hall was quietly admiring him while silently warning themselves not to get burned.

Even though none of the girls tried to walk up to him, their whispers spread through the hall like sparks on dry grass.

"Do you see him?" a girl in a blue dress whispered.

Her shoulders were bare, and a thin silver chain hung around her neck.

She was the eldest daughter of Count Paper, but at the moment she looked more like a flustered schoolgirl than a noble lady.

"He looks so handsome…" she added, cheeks turning pink just from looking at Vivian.

The girl beside her had smooth black hair and warm brown eyes.

Her white dress made her look almost angelic. She let out a small sigh.

"It's a pity. I heard he even rejected someone like Princess Marinate. If that's true, then we don't stand a chance."

"You're right…" the girl in blue murmured, sinking deeper into her disappointment.

She took a slow breath before continuing.

"Noble men usually marry more than one woman, but I don't think he's that type. And even if he wanted…"

She stopped, sighing again, shoulders drooping as she watched Vivian walk.

The gap between wanting him and daring to try felt impossibly wide.

Their tiny hopes fluttered quietly in the air, unnoticed by the man who caused them.

The girls were completely taken in by Vivian's looks, but the boys… not so much.

Their faces twisted as if they'd bitten into a sour lemon.

"Hmph. What's so good about him?" a young man around twenty muttered. [Author: Another Npc, sigh… ]

His nose wrinkled as he watched Vivian standing calmly with Edward, not even trying to show off.

When his gaze shifted to Edward, his frown only deepened.

Another voice beside him grumbled, "Great… another rival, huh? He isn't old enough, but give it time."

The first man turned around to respond, and then he froze.

A woman stood there, close enough that he could smell the light scent of her perfume.

Her hair was ocean blue, falling smoothly down her back, and her eyes matched that same clear color.

Her beauty was sharp enough to shut him up instantly.

She smiled at him, and the poor man straightened so fast his spine nearly popped.

He bowed with perfect manners he didn't even know he had.

"It's nice meeting you, Miss Esabella," he said, voice suddenly polite and shaky.

"You don't need to be so formal," Esabella replied, lifting her wine glass with a lazy wave.

Her tone was relaxed, almost playful, as if she found his flustered reaction amusing.

The light caught her glass, making the red liquid inside shimmer like a ruby.

The man's face stayed stiff with respect, even fear.

She was easily the most beautiful person in the hall, but he didn't dare try flirting or even making small talk.

He stood there like a soldier waiting for orders, nervous enough that his palms were probably sweating.

Esabella let out a soft chuckle.

"Then I'll excuse myself," she said, and her eyes drifted toward Vivian before she walked away with slow, confident steps.

The moment she disappeared into the crowd, the man finally breathed again, one long, painful exhale, and escaped in the opposite direction as fast as he could without running.

Meanwhile, Vivian stood calmly with Edward, hands relaxed at his sides.

He didn't react to the whispers, the stares, or the jealousy floating around the hall. But he had heard every word.

His senses were too sharp for anything to slip by.

Edward had heard it too.

The kid nudged Vivian with his elbow, the grin already forming on his face.

"Aren't you a famous one, brother?" he said, voice full of mischief.

Vivian glanced down at him, expression flat, but Edward's playful smile only grew wider, like he'd just discovered one of his brother's secret weaknesses.

The noise of the hall swirled around them, but the teasing was louder.

Vivian was just opening his mouth to reply when a smooth, alluring voice drifted over the noise of the hall.

"If it isn't the youngest Swordmaster in history."

The words slid in like warm honey, confident and impossible to ignore.

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